Time management
Johnston needs only seven innings for victoryBy Michael Boytim,mboytim@altoonamirror.com
Article Photos
LILLY - A.J. Czap ran out of gas trying to turn a three-run, fifth inning triple into an inside-the-park home run.
The fact he reached base in five straight innings probably had something to do with it as Johnston Realty cruised to a 12-0 win in seven innings over Lansing in the first game of the All American Amateur Baseball Association National tournament at Lilly Memorial Field.
"I got winded about third base, and I kind of stumbled on the base, and I saw them send me, and I said, 'Oh boy,'" Czap said. "I was just trying to set the table for the big guys behind me and get on base."
Czap cleared the table along with setting it, driving in a run with a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the third before picking up three more RBIs on his triple. Czap walked to load the bases in the third inning, and John Martinez, who also finished with four RBIs, wiped them clean with a three-run double.
"I was pleased the way some of the guys picked up guys who weren't hitting," Johnston Realty manager Kurt Farabaugh said. "This game especially they were fired up. Matt Adams came back, and I think that ignited the team."
Though Adams was just 1-for-4 in his return to Johnston from the New England Collegiate Baseball League, Czap agreed with Farabaugh.
"We have Adams and [Brett] Weibley behind us [Czap and Martinez] who are powerful guys who can hit the ball," Czap said. "Matt really solidifies that spot [third in the order], because you know he's going to get hits and hit people in. He just kind of solidifies our whole lineup."
Lost in the offensive explosion was a third-straight dominant performance by Johnston's pitching staff in postseason play. Luke Curtis, Mike Pierce, John Martinez and Kaleb Fleck combined on a six-hit shutout.
"We got a lead and decided to use guys one or two innings," Farabaugh said. "A couple of mishaps on their end allowed us to get a jump on them and use the pitching the way we wanted to."
"We had four errors and nine walks," Lansing manager Andy Joseph said. "That sums it up right there. We had no timely hits, nine walks and four errors. You're not going to win any ball games there."
Fleck, a Claysburg-Kimmel graduate who pitches for the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and is one of Johnston's top starters, came on in relief with his team up, 12-0, in the top of the seventh inning.
"He hasn't thrown in a week, and he wanted to throw an inning," Farabaugh said. "We planned on throwing him one inning no matter what, but there was a good time to get him in during the seventh."
An advantage to winning a game via the 10-run mercy rule is that the Johnston pitching staff had to throw two less innings than usual.
"Every team in the tournament would love to have a 10-run rule to save their arms," Farabaugh said. "We were lucky enough to have that happen, and we have our arms right now. I just hope we can continue to hit the ball."
Johnston Realty will play Zanesville, a 3-2 winner over Cleveland Monday, in second round action today.
LANSING (0): Johnson cf 302, C. Freund lf 300, Mendez ss 200, Grice 3b-1b 200, Loomis p 000, Fielder p 000, Rademacher dh 201, Manning ph 100, Borup c 301, Henry rf 300, Baldino 1b 202, M. Freund 3b 100, Goodrich 2b 200, Stoddard ph 100. Totals - 25-0-6.
JOHNSTON REALTY (12): Czap lf-cf 313, Martinez cf-p 403, Fleck p 000, Adams c-1b 401, Weibley 3b 502, Scholly 1b 210, Walters c 000, Stiffler ss 320, McCamley rf 230, Yukelson lf 000, L. Curtis p 000, Pierce p 000, Cressman dh 221, Gillung ph-rf 010, M. Curtis 2b 322. Totals -28-12-12.
SCORE BY INNINGS
Lansing000 000 0XX-0 6 4
Johnston Realty022 530 XXX-12 12 0
E-Grice, Mendez, Goodrich, Johnson. 2B-Martinez, Cressman. 3B-Czap. RBI-Czap 4, Martinez 4, Curtis 3. WP-Pierce. LP-Loomis. SO-Loomis 6, Fielder 1, L. Curtis 3, Pierce 1, Martinez 1, Fleck 2. BB-Loomis 5, Fielder 4, L. Curtis 1, Martinez 1.
Records: Lansing (0-1); Johnston Realty (1-0).
